Pranali may have committed the murder single-handedly

NAGPUR: Nandanvan police seem to be fast doing away with the theory that there was another person to aid 18-year-old Pranali Bhoyar, a second-year DEd student, in the murder of former irrigation department engineer Sudhakar Karadmare on September 2 at his rented apartment at Ratan Nagar. Police feel that it was an enraged Pranali who had inflicted 19 stab injuries on Karadmare during the bloody scuffle.

Pranali, whom the cops made to enact the entire episode that led to Karadmare's murder, claimed that the man had grabbed her feet during the struggle. Despite being stabbed, Karadmare was not freeing Pranali's legs which he had held to overpower the teenager. Pranali said she indiscriminately stabbed Karadmare on his back to free her legs. HoweverLater, Karadmare had nearly cornered her in the bedroom but collapsed and remained motionless on the floor allowing enough time for her to clean herself of blood stains before stepping out of the house, she told cops.

Police had also rounded up Pranali's boyfriend from Umrer's Beisur village for questioning as a section of the cops felt that it could not have been possible for her to kill a man thrice her age and built. "Pranali's boyfriend is also a student and is preparing for competitive examinations. He is from a sound family background and seems to be nowhere connected to the murder," said a senior official. He added that Pranali's version of killing the man is surprising but it is getting truer with every passing day.

Karadmare and Pranali had met while travelling together in a state transport bus which was heading to Gadchiroli around a year ago. Police said that Karadmare had a queer habit of befriending women at random. He had married four times without any issue. Karadmare had allegedly demanded sexual favours from Pranali who respected him like her father. It's learnt that Pranali had been frequenting Karadmare's residence and the former irrigation engineer used to financially assist her too. The relation, however, turned bitter with Karadmare's demand for sexual favours growing intense.

A senior official said that Pranali's landlady too has admitted that the girl had borrowed a kitchen knife from her claiming some work which she was unaware of. Nor did Pranali's behaviour raise any doubt, the landlady told cops. Police is also likely to seek further custody of Pranali on October 8 when she would be produced before the court. "We are still looking for more clues and the case is yet to be over for now," said the official.